Did you know…

A column by Mike Furci that brings you research, trends and other info to help you with your fitness, health and nutritional needs.

…the United Health Foundation has ranked Ohio, my home state, 27th in the America’s Health Rankings report? Since 1990, all 50 states have been ranked using such criteria as: smoking prevalence, obesity prevalence, rate of motor vehicle deaths, high school graduation rates, violent crime rates, infectious disease rates, health policies and more. The people of Minnesota are kicking butt, having been among the top two since 1990. Rounding out the bottom of the list is Mississippi in 50th place. Where does your state rank?

…that a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reports almost 60 percent of situations where patients are injured by, missed or delayed by diagnosis are caused by errors made by doctors? The most common missed diagnosis was cancer.

The most common failures in the diagnostic process contributing to mistakes:

Not ordering appropriate tests

Not creating a proper follow-up plan

Not obtaining an adequate physical examination

Incorrect interpretation of tests

Failures in judgment, memory, knowledge and patient-related factors are among the leading contributors to errors.

…American men are gradually losing testosterone? A study collected data, such as blood samples and other information, from 1,500 Boston-area men during 1987 to ‘89, 1995 to ‘97 and 2002 to ’04. Test levels fell from an average 503 ng/dL in men aged 65 to 69 in 1988 to 423 ng/dL in 2003. Low test levels have been linked to health problems, including lowered libido and diabetes.

We eat more soy products in the U.S. than any other country in the world, by far. Is it any wonder men in the U.S. losing their masculinity? Lower test levels are only one of many deleterious effects of consuming soy products. (www.Newsmax.com Health Alerts)

…adults who strength train have more muscle mass, function better, and experience fewer fall-related injuries than adults who do not strength train? Makes sense, doesn’t it? Because there are so many benefits to weight training, a national health objective made by the American College of Sports Medicine is to increase the proportion of adults who strength train two or more days per week to 30 percent. Unfortunately, adults in this country are just too lazy to be active, let alone strength train. The Centers for Disease Control analyzed data that included more than 30,000 subjects every year to determine the annual prevalence of strength training among U.S. adults. The findings of this report established that the prevalence of strength training increased slightly during the years 1998 through 2004, from 17.7 to 19.6 percent. This is a far cry from 30 percent. Among the group that needs strength training the most, people 65 years or older, prevalence was the least.
(www.cdc.gov / Trends in Strength Training --- United States, 1998--2004)